AAU Volleyball Skill Progressions: Individual Defense

Learn a progression of drills that teaches athletes how to dig a variety of balls

Discover the key posture that will enable you to move quickly and effectively to any ball

Features demonstrations by players ranging in age from youth to college

Sample Videos

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Description

with Kevin Hambly, University of Illinois Head Coach;2011 NCAA Runners-up; 2011 Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year; President of the AVCA Board of Directors

In this addition of the AAU Volleyball Skills Series, Kevin Hambly teaches coaches, athletes, and parents how they can improve individual defensive skills. In an easy to understand style, Coach Hambly takes both college athletes and young players through a series of drill progressions that will improve the defense of any level player. Listen in as he corrects technique in each drill; you will learn what to watch for as you teach and train your athletes.

In the first section of the video, Hambly introduces the "go posture," a ready position that takes the pressure off the back and allows athletes to move quickly and effectively to any ball. He begins every drill with catching the ball instead of passing; if you can't catch it, you can't dig it! As athletes become adept at the movement, they begin to dig the ball. The key to effective training is to progress from easy to hard.

The beginning drills have the athletes working stationery, but they are quickly moving to the ball in the next level. When movement is entered in, you will learn to teach your athletes to get their center to the ball, initiate contact and then finish the dig to get the ball high and create a swing.

Each progression cycles back and reinforces elements from the previous drill before adding more complex skills. Coach Hambly also shares ways less experienced coaches or parents can enter the ball in drill so that athletes still get maximum value out of their training time. Accuracy in the toss or hit helps athletes to be successful.

In the final segment, more advanced individual defensive techniques are covered. From extension moves to overhead digging, this section will help prepare experienced athletes for higher levels of play.

Create a defense that is relentless and gives your team the best opportunity of scoring. A tough defense will beat a good offense nearly all the time, so wouldn't you want the best chance to go undefeated?

The way the progressions are outlined really helps to understand the "keys" to work on. I have found that some of the concepts presented here are counter to what some of my players have been taught in the past ("don't go to your knees, turn and go to the spot, etc.) and they are struggling to not default into their old ways. It will be interesting to watch the improvement over this next season.

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